jueves, 29 de mayo de 2008

ASIAN VALUES AND BELIEFS, ARE THEY REALLY DIFFERENT

Many religions share the same values, for example, the respect for other peoples lives. No matter what beliefs people follow, there is no reason why people should consider their values to be much different from others. In Asia, where tradition is considered very important, and where tradition and modernity are at constant struggle, some people have considered that progress has affected negatively their religions. But the truth is that it doesn’t have to be like that. Progress and traditional religions can live together as long as the values are maintained.

Beside, traditional values can persist in modern Asia, and progress doesn’t necessarily mean a loss of religion. People should look for the things that unite these two realms, and consider that universal values are shared by the whole humanity, and that every human has to be responsible for the consequences of their acts. As long as people understand this, beliefs and values can be considered very similar.

In the other hand, while religions and beliefs can separate people, values unite them. Society should work towards an understanding and acceptance of the different beliefs, and learn that no matter what they believe in, their behaviour must be responsible, and the principles of society should be the same for everyone. This will lead to a more tolerant society, where families and individuals are respected in their freedom and their integrity.

In conclusion, religions are meant to be a search for the truth, and this applies too for human values, which depend on the truth. In every society there are positive and negative values, but in order to progress, a spiritual sense of direction is necessary. That’s why we can´t say that values and beliefs are that different. They complete each other, even in societies where differences are strong in this sense. When respect and open mindness are inculcated in the culture of a country, there is no need for everybody to believe in the same things.